


Winning

by theron09



Category: MCU – Avengers Movie
Genre: Gen, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-02
Updated: 2014-06-02
Packaged: 2018-02-03 03:44:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1729892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theron09/pseuds/theron09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Thor takes Loki back to Asgard, Tony and Loki talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winning

  
A/N: This was written as a Christmas present for obsessionality over at lj - just getting around to posting it here now. 

Unsurprisingly, Loki surrenders pretty quickly once he’s surrounded by his brother and a team of superheroes and SHIELD agents, all with weapons. What _does_ surprise Tony is how little the Asgardian insults them as he’s taken prisoner. He’d been expecting complaints, quips about the human nature of some of them, long monologues about the differences between gods and machines – after all, it’s what Tony would have done.

Instead there is silence. Not a word from Loki as they leave the destroyed Stark Tower – although Tony has plenty to say about _that_ – and not a word from him as they stand around discussing just what to do with their prisoner. Tony feels suspicious.

“You’re scowling,” says Natasha, nudging him in the shoulder. “Why are you scowling?”

“It’s a near-permanent feature of humanity,” he replies automatically, even though he knows Romanoff would understand his concerns.

“Especially when faced with a near-death experience and _aliens_.”

Across the room, Loki smirks. 

 

~~

  
They get schwarma because it seems like the thing to do after you’ve just saved a city. Tony sits and eats and listens to the others talk and joins in and all the time he’s thinking about Loki. Loki’s a lot like himself, he’s realised – the demi-god always has a plan, always manages to find a way out. It’s just a matter of time, Tony thinks, until Loki makes another move. In fact, Tony would very much like their meal to be finished so that Thor can take Loki away from their planet and at least decrease the chances of Loki’s next move creating more fallout for Earth. 

He doesn’t voice any of that, of course. Not with Loki within earshot; it’d be letting him get the upper-hand. Tony doesn’t like other people winning.

~~

  
It’s only when the others are busy doing other things, their attention away from Loki, that the demi-god speaks, just loud enough so that Tony can hear.

“I didn’t see you as the type to sacrifice yourself.”

Loki’s words are close enough to the ones Steve spoke earlier that Tony almost glances around at Captain America. _Almost._ “I didn’t see you as the type to lose so easily but, hey, you did.”

“Easily? New York won’t ever be the same again. The world has seen what’s out there now.”

Tony nods. “Yep. And the world won. The _demi-god_ lost. Easily.”

He takes a not-so-small amount of satisfaction from the way Loki’s face twists at that. Good, Loki deserves putting in his place a bit. Sure, Tony has an ego too but he’s never tried to take over a planet.

“You rely on technology alone to defend yourself,” says Loki. “I have strength, intelligence-”

“You have handcuffs. On you. Keeping you prisoner.”

“Not for long.”

“That’s what you think.”

“That’s what I _know_.” Loki smirks, leaning in towards Tony and lowering his voice. “Thor has too much faith in people; eventually, he’ll give me an opening and I _will_ take it.”

“Actually, I think you’re underestimating your brother a little there. Maybe he has faith in people but I don’t think he has much faith in you anymore.”

“Well, I think-”

“You know what?” Tony shrugs, walking away. “I don’t really care what you think.”

_Conversation won._

 

~~

  
Later, Thor is getting ready to leave Earth, saying goodbye to Steve and Bruce while Tony and Natasha watch Loki.

“This is just the beginning,” Loki says.

Tony ignores him

“I’m not giving up,” Loki says.

Tony turns away as Thor begins to walk back in their direction.

“I’ll see you again,” Loki says.

Tony believes him. 


End file.
